From left: Windsor Charter Academy high school students Ally Garrett, as Mrs. Darbus; Isaac Toman, understudy for Ryan; Alie Fraser, as Gabriella; and Blaine Acheson, as Troy, look offstage as the rest of the cast of Disney's "High School Musical" comes in during a rehearsal for the show last week.Emily Wenger/ewenger@mywindsornow.com

From left: Windsor Charter Academy high school students Aly Garrett, Trinity Morin, Quinn Boroughs and Isaac Toman discuss the absence of the characters Troy and Gabriella during a rehearsal for "High School Musical" last week.Emily Wenger/ewenger@mywindsornow.com

Windsor Charter Academy high school students rush into position for a song during last week's rehearsal for "High School Musical."Emily Wenger/ewenger@mywindsornow.com

Alie Fraser, right, and Blaine Acheson, high school students at Windsor Charter Academy, high-five during a rehearsal last week for "High School Musical."Emily Wenger/ewenger@mywindsornow.com

» “High School Musical” — Windsor Charter Academy high school students will perform “High School Musical” 7 p.m. March 9 and 10 at the Windsor Charter Academy elementary school, 680 Academy Ct., and a matinee will be held at 2 p.m. March 10 at the elementary school. The musical will be the first performed by Windsor Charter Academy high school students.

» Solo and Ensemble Festival — Windsor Charter Academy choir students will show their skills at this festival, which will be from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. March 31 at 680 Academy Ct.

WINDSOR — Alie Fraser, an 11th-grader at Windsor Charter Academy Early College High School, smiled at a rehearsal for “High School Musical,” spreading her arms wide as she sang.

She’s always been shy, she said, but theater is helping her get out of her comfort zone.

“It’s definitely pushed me,” she said, “but in a good way.”

The production will be the first for the early college high school at Windsor Charter Academy, which opened for the 2015-16 school year.

Fraser’s first role was in “Once Upon a Mattress” as an eighth-grader, and she’s grateful to Robert Lighthall, the music teacher at Windsor Charter Academy, for agreeing to direct a play at the high school in addition to the one he organizes each year at the middle school.

Since Lighthall’s arrival at the school three years ago, he has worked to build the school’s performing arts. Adding the musical was his most recent step in providing as many opportunities as he can for students.

He teaches music classes, as well as high school drama and filmmaking. He also is organizing the school’s first solo and ensemble festival. That show will be March 31. The public is welcome to attend.

Although music was the focus of his study in college, Lighthall said theater also has taught him valuable life lessons, like how to put himself in other people’s shoes and be more open-minded. He wants to pass those lessons on to as many students as possible.

He’s directed middle school musicals — one each year — since his arrival at the school. Next year, he hopes to add a non-musical high school play.

As he led the cast of “High School Musical” through his classroom last week, they smiled and chatted before joining other characters in song.

Watching students grow throughout rehearsal processes for music and theater shows makes the additional time it takes Lighthall to run the shows worth the effort.

Theater is a valuable experience for students, Fraser said, because it can teach them social skills and build character traits like dedication and commitment.

Fraser, who will play Gabriella in “High School Musical,” one of the lead roles, wants to continue playing music and singing after school. She’ll carry the lessons she’s learned from Lighthall with her into other aspects of her life, she said.

“I think students need an opportunity to express themselves in a way they haven’t formerly,” said Lighthall. “And I think theater’s the perfect place for that.”